“Where Do We Turn?”
When we are swallowed up by our troubles, where should we turn? We might feel intense sadness, despair, loneliness, fear, anger, hurt, disappointment, shame, grief, or remorse. Often, people retreat inside themselves and let no one know, and they may turn to drugs (legal or illegal), alcohol, or something else to distract them and numb their pain. Some even tragically take their lives.
But what wisdom can we learn from the faithful and comforting Word of God? We do well to imitate the Psalmist in Psalm 130 when He calls on God in the midst of His troubles: “Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!”
He is in the “depths”—not literally in the sea, but he does feel like he is drowning. How about you today? What is overwhelming you or getting you “down”? I encourage you to do what this man of prayer did—He called out to the Lord earnestly, asking for His mercy. The Lord is not some hate-filled deity who delights in your pain. On the contrary, the Bible reveals that He overflows with compassion and mercy.
Now, sometimes our troubles come out of the blue and we aren’t sure why, but other times they are a result of our sin. What should we do at those times? Our first parents, Adam and Eve, tried to hide from God after they sinned. If we do the same, we cannot get true, lasting relief. It is only when we confess our sins to Him that we can find forgiveness and relief from them. I John 1:9 says: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all righteousness.”
And what do we find out about God when we go to Him in confession and with faith in Christ: “But with You (God), there is forgiveness…steadfast love…and plentiful redemption…(and He will take away all your) sins.”
God showed just how loving and committed He was to heal the awful fracture that our relationship with Him had because of our sin. He sent His only Son to live a perfect life on our behalf and die an awful death for sin that we deserve, so that our connection to Him might be restored. If He did all that to save His people from their sins, how much more obvious is it that each day He invites us to roll our burdens onto Him, since He cares for us?
Go to Him with your burdens today. He is a God Who is near and not One Who is far off. His arms of love are open, and He says to you, “Come to Me, all of you who are weak and heavily loaded down, and I will give you rest.”